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Indoors, Halloween is best as a still life. This mantel is arranged the way a Dutch painter would set a table: height on the left, a long low middle, and two dark birds that make you look twice.
Black tapers in brass are the whole lighting plan. In the late afternoon the green paneling goes nearly black, and the candles carry the room.
The Elevation
- 1Urn of bare branches. Black-stained branches give the left end its height.
- 2Three brass candlesticks, black tapers. Set at three heights, the tallest closest to the urn.
- 3Slate and ivory pumpkins. A row of five small pumpkins along the middle of the shelf.
- 4Two black crows. Feathered, life-size, one looking out and one looking down.
- 5Brass candlesticks, right. Two more black tapers to close the composition.
- 6Antique mirror. Lean it rather than hang it, so it tilts into the candlelight.
The Details
The Pieces
For three brass candlesticks, black tapers · qty 2
For three brass candlesticks, black tapers · qty 1
For slate and ivory pumpkins · qty 1
For two black crows · qty 1
Designer's Notes
Installation
Start with the mirror, then the tallest element, then the low middle. Use LED tapers if the mantel is under a television or shelving.
Light
Real candles here, lit for an evening only. Draw the curtains to the left halfway so the window light rakes across the birds.
Budget
Tier I (Under $300): about $270 for everything on the list below at today's prices.
